Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A new school bond proposal is taking shape in Colfax.
At a school board work session Monday night, members heard the parameters of what would be a $19 million bond for facilities improvements at both Colfax High School and Jennings Elementary.
Worked out over meetings going back to January when a committee was formed by Superintendent Jerry Pugh and lead by volunteer Wes Claassen, the measure would focus on what is needed for the next 20 years of the schools.
Any bond proposal would have to be submitted to the county auditor by Dec. 15 for the Feb. 13, 2018, special election.
The scope of the proposed bond would entail replacing of roofs at both schools, HVAC upgrades for energy efficiency and air quality and classroom and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) space upgrades to support the current curriculum at the high school.
Further, at the high school, renovations would be made to locker rooms, gym, auditorium, weight and wrestling areas.
Work would also be done for student safety and security.
For Jennings Elementary, the roofing would be replaced with a metal standing-seam roof system. Other projects slated include gymnasium upgrades to support “physical education, athletics and community uses of the space” as described on a handout from Pugh. Overall changes to the schools’ area would include “athletic field lighting, improving traffic and pedestrian safety and improving school security.”
“The community will be shown this priority list,” Pugh said. “Information will begin to flow in late October, early November. Everything we do has been looked at through a lens that this is going to last for the next 20 years.”
The school board will now think over the proposal for a potential vote on it at their next meeting Oct. 23.
In further detail of what they will consider, the entire roofs would be replaced on each Colfax school building, with a new metal roof at Jennings. Classrooms would be renovated at a certain cost per square feet. The old elementary school gym would be remodeled.
The bond proposal would be on the ballot with the district’s traditional two-year maintenance and operations levy, which is estimated to be at $750,000 per year for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Homeowner
For the owner of a Colfax home with an assessed value of $150,000, next February, if both a $19 million bond passes and a $750,000 per year levy passes, the effect would be 25 cents less per thousand than the current two. The bond proposal would be over 20 years.
“We’re extremely sensitive to our taxpayers,” said Pugh. “These estimates are at 1.5 percent growth in value per year. We believe it will be 3.5 percent, which takes the rate down.”
The change would come at a time when a new state property tax begins in which that same $150,000 homeowner will pay an additional $8.75 per month. The tax is part of a new state operating budget passed earlier this year, part of its plan to fully fund K-12 education.
“The new bond and the new levy will be 25 cents less per thousand than the current structure,” Pugh said. “This is exclusive of state mandates on property tax.”
In Monday’s work session, Claassen told of an incident earlier this year twhen he pulled up to put gas in his tractor in his field. A landowner neighbor rolled up beside him.
“Don’t raise my taxes,” he said with a smile.
“If your roof was leaking on your house, would you fix it?” Claassen said.
Overall, the 1990 Colfax High graduate is confident of the proposal’s scope.
“Of course I hoped it would be a lot cheaper,” Claassen said. “But a lot of areas of the schools have not been significantly touched since they were brand new.”
What is the most surprising thing he has seen or learned in this process?
“Because of the cost there is a cushion in there so we don’t have cost overruns,” he said. “If the economy is booming when we’re doing this, it’s going to cost more.”
He noted its hard to chart spending 19 million while being fiscally conservative, but that is what they are doing.
“Fixing things the right way so they don’t have to be re-done,” Claassen said.
What about the STEM classrooms?
“A room that’s geared up with technology to do hands-on researching and development,” Pugh said. “Robotics, community projects.”
Is this a want, or a need?
“Everything is STEM, right, science, technology, engineering and math,” Pugh said. “This is a space that will have a strong infrastructure of technology. It’s about having the infrastructure to prep for the technology that goes into one of these classrooms.”
Business report
The meeting began Monday night with a rundown of the statewide levy situation and its new rules by District Business Manager Reece Jenkin. In attendance were the board, Superintendent Pugh, Claassen and Ned Warnick of Design West, the architect hired by the district in April for this process.
Jenkin explained the new rule in place in Washington, a cap of $1.40 per thousand dollars in property evaluation for what a district can ask for a levy.
Noting that state funding for the coming years will continue to go up, the new levy rules will take effect for the 2018-19 school year.
The state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) now will be in charge of approving levies.
“We can ask for whatever we want. We’re gonna be maxed out at the dollar-fifty per thousand,” Jenkin told the board. “It’s all based on assessed value.”
Jenkin reported a 3.5 percent per year increase in assessed value in Colfax over the past 20 years.
In the levy process, a district can lose dollars if they do not assess at a high value.
At 3.5 percent, the district’s maximum levy for 2019 would be $660,000, for 2020 $689,000 and 2021 $713,000.
If assessed value goes up more than 3.5 percent, the district would lose.
Jenkin named $750,000 specifically for the coming levy.
“I think that’s the right number for us,” he said, on what would be a two-year levy.
“You’re more or less estimating what assessed value is going to be,” Jenkin said.
“Did I miss something?” asked boardmember Terry Huber. “Our levy is actually getting cut in half?”
Yes, Jenkin explained, while more state property tax is being collected to make up for it.
“But it’s not guaranteed to come back to us dollar for dollar,” Pugh said.
“It’s out of local control anymore,” said Jenkin. “There truly is winners and losers in this funding. There’s huge changes coming to education in the next two to three, four years.”
After Jenkin’s presentation, Pugh spoke at the Monday meeting, thanking all those who put in work on this so far.
“The first thing that rose to the top was roofing,” he said. “Then HVAC, and the structures to protect those guts.”
He talked about the bond proposal as of this moment.
“This is a broad stroke. We will drill down,” he said. “This is about the needs, not the wants, these are critical needs that have to be addressed. This is a 20-year fix.”
In working with Warnick, this summer the district got a cost estimate which came out at $19 million.
“It’s not the point to say, this is new,” said Pugh. “If it’s functional, it stays.”
Warnick then asked to make a comment Monday.
Saying the tone seemed negative about the facilities, he suggested it should not be the case.
“You have great, big buildings... I know districts that would kill to have your auditorium... Those great buildings just need to be reinvested in,” he said.
Pugh continued, then Claassen made a comment.
“The one thing you hear about past bonds. Did they deliver?,” he said. “$100,000 is nothing, to getting it fixed right.”
Decision
Pugh talked about the district’s extensive track project, completed a year ago, funded by grants, private donations and a $130,000 investment from the school district.
“The track. We didn’t skimp on anything. That was the right thing to do so that will last,” he said.
“The auditorium, we gotta make that look nice,” Huber said.
“It’s falling apart,” said boardmember Robert Smith. “That’s the most visible thing to the community.”
Pugh then referred to the outcome of the track work.
“All the things that we promised we would do, we have done,” he said.
“One of the things you consider, should we grocery-price this,” said Claassen. “A dollar ninety-nine. Should we keep it under two dollars. I am confident that we can fix this school that the kindergarten class could graduate from a school in great shape.”
“We strive hard to keep those numbers down,” Pugh said. “This is what the kids need, the staff needs.”
“Anybody that knows me, knows my passion is kids,” Claassen said. “If you want to end poverty, you gotta educate kids. From a conservative view, a Republican point of view, I would say you’ve got to support excellent schools.”
The work session concluded with discussion about how information on the proposed bond may be offered to voters, at school events such as basketball games and more.
“The public needs to be educated to know what’s happening,” Smith said.
So what would Pugh say to that neighbor who rolled up to Claassen in the field?
“What I’m saying to him is what we have done is worked for nine months to come up with a number to take care of the needs of the school(s) that we anticipate will cost an extra four to six dollars a month — for a $150,000 property,” Pugh said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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